What Nets Can Learn from Tyrese Haliburton Leading Pacers to NBA Finals

The NBA Finals are officially set. Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers will take on league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder in an electric guard vs. guard matchup.

Even while watching from home, the Brooklyn Nets could learn a thing or two from Haliburton's rise to stardom, as well as Indiana's team success as a whole.

The Pacers—and Thunder for that matter—have both found a new formula to winning in the modern NBA. Each enterred rebuilds by trading marquee players for high-potential guards who blossomed into superstars. Then, either through the draft or free agency, both franchise's surrounding their new alpha with top-tier role players.

Every title team needs role players. But it all starts with the man at the forefront. In Indiana's case, that's Haliburton.

Finding that under-the-radar guy and putting him in a situation to succeed appears to be the new "meta" in 2025. The Pacers, Thunder and New York Knicks have all followed this trend, and unsurprisingly, ended up being three of the four finalists in the 2024-25 campaign.

There is one player I've had in mind that Brooklyn should go after, and it's a prospect they should've heavily considered trading up for last summer: Devin Carter. Ironically a Sacramento Kings guard just as Haliburton was, Carter's college tape was unreal. One of the best guards in the Big East, Carter's dominance at Providence led to him becoming a lottery selection even though Sacramento already had De'Aaron Fox.